Show t conclusions are more kkety gathered out of a multitude of longues than through any kind of authoritative selection’ tmahcmt The Herald Journal Logan Utah (1S7S-1SS1- ) Page 13 Our view Can mall be blamed by city for listening to city? has had its share of tree ' controversies in recent years usual- -' ly spawned by the removal of older trees in the city At first glance the removal of three old willow trees near Macey’s for the construction of a five-stostrip mall might seem like just one more case of trees being sacrificed in the name re ’ of development But the situation it - is actually more complex than that and raises questions about city procedures The facts are these: The Logan halt to the development until a new site plan could be developed They claim the city forester does not have the right to supersede their authority They have also said it seems like another case where a developer has decided it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission In this case we would disagree We think the project developers were simply caught up in the middle of a procedural brouhaha They followed channels — just not the channels planners thought they should have taken After all the city forester is Planning Commission gave site charged with taking care of Logan’s to the mall in : approval project strip January with the condition that the trees not be removed In March the commission was notified by the city that the trees were in poor condition and needed to come out but planners insisted further study was needed In the meantime the trees were removed by developers after City Forester Joe Archer issued permits to remove the trees They were dead or dying Archer said and needed to go Angry planners put a temporary urban forest It is exactly his right — in fact it’s his responsibility — to determine if trees are healthy or not or if they are the appropriate trees for the spot where they’re growing If he gave permission for the trees to be removed why punish the developers by halting the project even temporarily? While we laud e the planners for their position we think they overreacted and possibly even overstepped their ByC own boundaries in this instance Preserving valley’s open lands vital pro-tre- lb the editor: I am a citizen of Utah and a lifetime resident of Cache Valley I may not have a vote but I do have a voice This letter is written in response to Elwin Allred’s comments printed on - April 8 “--Mr Allred says it will be a great day when the environmentalists become endangered species and that he hopes LCC will be the first to attain such status A great day for whom? Have you considered the upcoming generation the one that will try to "fix” the problems created by those before us? We need environmentalists — without those who care for this world fighting to protect it what hope would dime be for me my generation and our children? There are some of us who enjoy breathing clean air seeing open space watching birds and other wildlife fishing I and canoeing in clean water and being able to go to pristine areas to hike and j otherwise recreate Logan Canyon its steep cliff walls and winding river con- tribute to our quality of life It will be an awful day when people become so hope-less and apathetic that we do not even stand for the places we I attempt to take a love I I Logan Canyon Coalition is not costing I taxpayers millions of dollars the Utah I Department of Transportation is The conservationist’s alternative would improve safety in Logan Canyon and cost millions less than UDOTs preferred alternative — LCC is trying to save money As for the proportion of Logan Canyon Coalition members to other focal citizens — one to 123 — that one person is passionate and fierce loving and strong and willing to do everything in his or her power to keep the essence of the beauty of Cache Valley alive Margaret Mead a wonderful anthropologist mice wrote “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has” I for one am grateful to LCC for showing me what it means to never give up Their efforts inspire me and give me hope that this incredible valley we live in will remain how it is The members of R Batten Urp Your view Yes Mr Allred we need environmentalists Guest commentary X LCC are the heart of environmental love To all those who care for our wildlife and wildlands I thank you You occupy a niche that is essential to maintaining the health of this incredible planet Merrilync Lundahl Logan in-dep- reporting th lb the editor: The political cartoon in last Sunday’s Herald Journal showing a bearded “environmentalist” with a “radical” approach to a Logan Canyon bridge (a rope swing) is offensive to me only in that it symbolizes the real lack of good reporting on the part of our news media (After all I don’t have a beard and I don’t like rope swings) Slobodan Milosevic (my definition of the “evil empire”) used the media to his into a benefit by twisting half-trutsmoke screen to hide his real intentions “These Moslems Croats and Serbs never could get along together that’s what this whole war is about” This was a half-trut- h carefully designed to hide the real truth of genocide and a “Greater Serbia” The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) hues public relations specialists to make sure the media get the right message with respect to the Logan Canyon highway project The message is: “These environmental groups could never get along together have no rational comments and represent only a handful of people on the radical fringe” which they capitalize The half-trut- h on is the fact that there has been some th hs friction between different concerned groups The smoke screen is of course to hide their real intention which is to operate just like they did in the “good-old-day- tions and no concern for the environment (Or for the public for that matter) UDOT has made a shun of the entire “process” It is now time for the media to recognize the UDOT propaganda machine for what it is and give us some good John Nicholson Logan not-impart- ial urban dweller (with the song of the meadowlark drifting through the open window as he is writing) urges every landowner to investigate ways of preserving the fam- our third year in Cache Valley We ily farm fornia That doesn’t like to see the valley developed into a mean' we’re Californians It just means that we took a wrong turn too many years back and got out there At one of the first meetings I attended in California a lady stood up and deplored the terrible things that had been done to her beautiful Santa Clara felley where she lived It was once an agricultural community with ranches citrus groves and vineyards Since then it has been overcome by urban sprawl and is now mountain to mountain housing — a part of the San Francisco Bay megalopolis Many people who work within that megalopolis have chosen to live out in the Sacramento-Sa- n Joaquin Valley Some of them commute upwards of 100 miles one way every working day for the last 10 or 13 miles of that commute they crawl along at 10 or 13 mph on freeways designed for 70 high-center- Most of us are in Cache Valley because we like the rural atmosphere and the open spaces Few if any of us would California-styl- e bedroom community Yet the trend is in that direction Farmers are finding it more and more difficult to stay in business As residential developments spread into the coun- tryside agriculture takes second place Farmers are saddled with more and more restrictions on their farm operations Urban people who move into the country discover that there are often sounds and smells they don’t like and they make their presence known Farmers try to accommodate them but cannot always Fanners adjacent to residential developments often find that the productivity of their land is reduced by as much as one third and their costs of production increased That may be the difference between a profit and a loss — between continuing on the farm or selling out to the next developer that comes along The federal estate tax structure is among many other pressures that are accelerating the trend toward a California-- bedroom community Many style (maybe most) farmers are land rich and cash poor Many have wanted to keep their farms for the next generations but age landowners to investigate ways available to them to preserve their farms Their land can be designated an Agriculture Protection Area They can sell or donate development rights or conservation easements that will allow them to continue to farm their land Good tax planning can reduce the estate taxes their descendants must pay so they will not have to sell the farm to pay the taxes AH these programs are voluntary and allow the individual landowner to select the most suitable method This urban dwcTTCHIg the song of the meadowlark drifting through the open window as he is writing) urges every landowner to investigate ways of preserving the family farm and use those that are most suitable One of the things I like about Utah is the respect its people have for property rights — a respect which is almost entirely lacking in California But the times are changing From my experience in California 1 can predict that if the landowners don’t take advantage of the voluntary methods of preserving open space that we have now a few years down the road they will be saddled with strict land-us- e regulations that may tell them what color fence posts they can use what color they can paint their houses or even prevent them from planting trees to improve their property CR Batten la a freelance writer and editor living in Logan Other views Day-car- e musn’t be made a kid dump Milwaukee Journal Sentinel s” with purely engineering solu- detailed reporting This came here from Cali- Cartoon symbolizes lack of ime was when Cache Valley was a rural valley” said the long-tim- e resident “But now whenever I come into the valley at night I see lights all over the place” Many of us are seeing unprecedented growth in the valley and are not sure we like what we see I guess I must be part of the problem My wife and I are relative newcomers in their descendants have had to sell out in order to pay the estate taxes It appears to this observer that the best way to preserve the open space and rural atmosphere in Cache Valley is to do everything we can to maintain agriculture as a viable industry and to encour- A worse America has become a society in which both parents work If anything welfare reform this under trend is intensifying Now moms and so-call- ed lire children worse off because mothers now work? Well overall the intellectual development of kids in day care doesn’t seem to suffer when compeers sugpared with their gest new authoritative findings from an ongoing study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development What a relief After all for better or stay-at-ho- dads everywhere can rest assured that in terms of the intellectual development of their children this trend is not for the worse This study does raise some cautions however What matters for intellectual development is a stimulating environment A center that fails to provide such an environment can stunt intellectual Herald Journal Editorial policylMSSSEUIfiS The Opinion page la intended to acquaint readers with a variety of viewpoints on matters ot public Importunes and provide members ot the community wHh a tonim tor their rfows Personal columns cartoons and letters from readers reflect Vie opMone of their writers and creators Editorials under the heading Dur View represent toe views ot the Herid Journal editorial board Members ot the editorial board are: growth In the rush to institute work requirements for mothers on governmental assistance states must pay some heed to the quality of day care services eligible for public funds Also the study uncovered slight dambond when chilage to the mother-chil- d dren younger than six months are placed in day care for many hours — a situation that bears watching particularly in Wisconsin where welfare reform is requiring mothers of young babies to work long hours lettersipollcyaWB— i The Herald Journal welcomes letters to the editor PotonHaSy Mbntnns or offensive letters wH not be published however and the odtmr reserves the right to edN si letters to oontotm to toe length and style requirements of the mmupapar Letters should be: d w Typewritten a: A No more than 450 words hi length Addressed end Include daytime phone number for purposes of vsrtocatlon Signed by toe autoor IndMdueis are limited to one publiehed letter within any period Address douUe-epece- 30-da- BRUCE SMTHpuMsher CHARLES McCOUJUMknmaging editor RAEANNETHAYNEnewe editor al wnnn ifnuunpivwixonk uumoonr mentoriee are also waioome and ate run at toe editor's dieotsflon |